This tragic email from one of my students many long years ago just hit my computer.

Perhaps our group here might see here the other side of the debate about border searches.

What do you think, Moby?

Jim_________________________________________________________ QUOTE

To the men and women of the United States Coast Guard:

It is with deep regret and sadness that I report the loss of Boatswains MateChief Terrell Horne, the Executive Petty Officer of CGC HALIBUT, who diedearly this morning from injuries sustained while conducting maritime lawenforcement operations off the California coast.

CGC HALIBUT was investigating a panga-type vessel suspected of illicitactivities after it was detected by a Coast Guard maritime patrol aircraft.When the CGC HALIBUT small boat approached, the suspect panga-type vesselmaneuvered at a high rate of speed directly towards the small boat andstruck it before fleeing the scene. Two Coast Guardsmen were thrown fromthe boat into the water, and both members were immediately recovered by thesmall boat. Upon recovery it was apparent that BMC Horne sustained atraumatic head injury. The other crew member had minor injuries. The CGCHALIBUT crew quickly recovered the small boat and boarding team andimmediately administered first aid. CGC HALIBUT returned to port whereemergency medical service units pronounced BMC Horne deceased.

Coast Guard assets later successfully interdicted the fleeing panga-typevessel, boarded it, and detained two suspects. I commend the Coast Guardand Customs and Border Protection units who continued the pursuit andapprehended those believed to be responsible. We are actively investigatingthe incident.

BMC Horne stood the watch on the front lines of Coast Guard operationsthroughout his nearly 14 years of active duty. He previously served atCoast Guard Stations Emerald Isle, Humboldt Bay and Charleston, and alsosailed aboard the CGC DALLAS. Throughout his Coast Guard service, BMCHorne's professionalism and commitment, like those before him, ensured thatwe were always ready to answer the nation's call.

The entire service is energized to support the family and shipmates of BMCHorne. Please keep his family and the crew of CGC HALIBUT in your thoughtsand prayers.

jocat54 wrote:That is really sad!!Hope the perverts responsible pay dearly.Prayers for his family.R.I.P.

Me too.

Umm, what is a panga-type vessel?

"Give me Liberty, or I'll get up and get it myself."—Hookalakah Meshobbab"I don't carry because of the odds, I carry because of the stakes."—The Annoyed Boy"Id aegre et in omnibus semper."—Quod Homo Aegre

They can be quite fast and are very sturdy. They have been used successfully by Somali pirates, and their high bow does not encourage our small boats, like the one carried by Halibut in this instance, getting into a collision with them. CG ships have been a part of the US-led maritime effort at interdicting Somali pirates from the very beginning. The men and women of our service put themselves in harm's way daily, and few in our country know that much about our service. Anyone here interested in knowing more about our country's oldest continuous seagoing service, the hard core of seamen around which the Navy builds itself in time of war, can take a look here.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Sta ... uard#Boats

I understand that the two Mexican nationals aboard the panga have been arrested.

For all our CG men and women in service all over the world, I thank you and others for your kind words.

Jim

We're not going to reason people out of positions they haven't reasoned themselves into, to paraphrase Ben Franklin.